


Dark Curse

by peggy_hamilton



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23097832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggy_hamilton/pseuds/peggy_hamilton
Summary: You and Grace remember the life you had in the Enchanted forest. Jefferson is the one who forgets.
Relationships: Mad Hatter | Jefferson/You
Kudos: 35





	Dark Curse

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my tumblr justthinkingofwaystoavoidbusses
> 
> original request: Hi there! I am slowly stalking your masterlist, I really like your writing and I love that you have Chris Beck and Jefferson stories! May I please request a Jefferson AU in which the reader is the one who remembers the enchanted forest and life with Jefferson, and he’s the one who forgets, and she and Grace team up to help him remember (and of course they eventually become a knit together family?) thank you so much xx - @poe-also-bucky

Life in the Enchanted Forest had been wonderful. You had met Jefferson when both of you were young and fallen in love quickly, he was your whole world and neither of you cared that you were poor as long as you had each other. You were content, happy, then you had Grace and the happiness in your home swelled. Sure, money got a bit tighter but you didn’t mind because you had a small bundle of joy within your daughter.

You got to watch her grow up in the forest and play with her father, your love for Jefferson never wavered or lessened in all the years you were together. Then suddenly everything changed, now everyone was living in a town called Storybrooke with different names and no recollection of their past lives.

Except for you and Grace.

You had found her soon after, she remembered who you were, thank god. At first, you hadn’t realised that everyone had forgotten their past lives, you had done so when you went looking for Jefferson and found him working as a tailor going by the names of James.

_“Jefferson thank God, we’ve been looking all over for you,” you rushed out as you walked into his shop with Grace’s hand in yours._

_Jefferson looked up and gave you a confused look, no recognition of either of you on his face. “Jefferson? My name’s James, can I help you with anything? Do you need a fitting or just something resized?” he asked._

_You squinted at him, sensing something was amiss. “N-no, thank you. I think we’re in the wrong place, sorry to bother you,” you said as your throat closed up, you quickly left the store with Grace a few steps behind._

_“Why are we leaving papa?” Grace asked and you willed away the stinging behind your eyes._

_You knelt down to her level, “Listen, Gracie. Remember how I told you about spells and magic?” you tried to keep your voice light._

_Grace nodded enthusiastically._

_“Good, well someone has put a spell on everyone so none of them remember their past except for us,” you explained._

_“Papa doesn’t remember us?” Grace asked, her lip quivering._

_“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” you soothed, “We just have to help him remember, okay?”_

_Grace nodded, “Okay.”_

You had enrolled Grace at the local school, recognising faces of people you once knew with different families. Jefferson was on your mind constantly, you knew that a terrible curse had been cast over the town and as much as you hoped he would be immune to it just as you and Grace were for whatever reason but he wasn’t.

As the days passed by it became increasingly difficult to explain to Grace why her father was no longer living with them. You had managed to find an old mansion on the outskirts of town away from everyone else, it was large and lavish and just the sort of house you and Jefferson had always fantasized about living in together. Now you were here but he wasn’t.

A few months passed by, you avoided the tailor’s shop as much as you could. You grew concerned for your daughter, you knew how much Grace had loved him and life without him was making her miserable. It was then that you knew you had to do something.

You had to make Jefferson remember you and Grace, and if you couldn’t make that happen then you would find a way to keep ‘James’ in your life. For Grace.

—

The bell above your head rang through the tailor's shop as you hesitantly stepped inside, Grace was at school and you were starting to regret coming here. You were about to leave when Jefferson - James - came out of the back with a wide smile on his face.

“Hi, how may I help you?” he asked, it had been so long since you had heard his voice or seen his smile that your eyes stung with tears but you forced yourself to not let them fall. A brief flash of recognition crossed his face but it was gone almost as soon as he came and you felt your heart break in two.

You cleared your throat, “Yes, um. Would you mind making some adjustments to some clothes I have?”

“Sure,” he nodded with a wide smile and you walked over to the counter and set your bag down. You pulled out a medium-sized cape and a top hat, it was almost Halloween so you were using that as an excuse.

“It’s my daughter’s Halloween costume but it’s a little too big, would you be able to make them both a bit shorter?” you asked, trying to keep your voice even and polite.

He picked them up and looked at them, “I can do that. Do you have her measurements?”

You nodded and handed over a slip of paper with the required details. “What’s she going as?” he asked conversationally.

“Hm?” you asked confused.

“For Halloween?” he clarified, glancing up at you.

“Oh! A magician, of sorts,” you made up on the spot.

He chuckled, “So not a princess?”

You shook your head, “No, she wanted to be just like her dad. He used to do magic..tricks,” you added quickly, noticing your slip up but luckily he didn’t catch it.

‘James’ nodded, “So you have a husband?” he tested, trying to sound nonchalant.

You licked your lips, “Not anymore,” you swallowed. It hurt to say but as long as Jefferson didn’t remember who he was you could hardly call him your husband, right now he was James and thought he had a whole life living here that didn’t involve you or Grace.

“Sorry to hear that,” he gave a sympathetic smile.

“It’s all fine,” you lied. “I have Grace,” you gave him a small smile.

This conversation was getting too hard for you so you sucked in a deep breath, “When will it be ready?” you asked.

“A week okay for you?” he asked.

You nodded, “Yes, that’s fine. Thank you,” and with that, you sped out of the store.

—

“Mummy look what I made!” Grace yelled at you excitedly when you picked her up from school a month later.

You had gone back to get Grace’s ‘Halloween outfit’ but it seemed Jefferson still didn’t remember you and you didn’t want to push anything on him so you hadn’t been back since.

Grace held out a large piece of paper that fluttered in the light breeze, you looked down and realised that it was a drawing of Jefferson. “It’s wonderful, Grace!” you plastered a smile onto your face to hide the fact that your heart was breaking.

“You like it?” she grinned, “I was thinking we could post it around town!” she smiled and you looked at the writing on the bottom.

_Have you seen my Papa?_

You bit your lip, she was only young so if you didn’t know you would recognise that it was Jefferson or rather James the local tailor. You didn’t want to make Grave even more unhappy by saying no or by explaining that you knew where he was but he didn’t remember her or you. “Sure, that’s a great idea,” you agreed and she lit up, you sighed internally knowing it would only end in disappointment.

The flyers got posted around town but the wind and rain ruined them until eventually they were all washed away. “It’s okay,” Grace said lightly when you told her as such, “We’ll just have to try harder next time.”

—

Next time came sooner than you would have liked, you had managed to get a small receptionist job in town. There were business clothes in the mansion but all of them were either too big or too small for you, you didn’t have enough money to buy a whole new wardrobe so that left you with one option.

The tailors.

You walked in and the bell rung above your head once again, a few minutes later Jefferson stepped around the corner. “I need these clothes resizing,” you told him, passing over a few shirts and work pants.

“What are your measurements?” he asked and you realised you hadn’t taken any.

“I don’t know,” you admitted.

He chuckled, “It’s fine. I’ll just measure you now if that’s okay?”

You nodded and hummed a yes, he stepped round the counter and was suddenly in your personal space. He grabbed the fabric measuring tape that hung loosely around his neck and began wrapping it around you in various places and making a note of the size.

“So, Jef- James, how have you been?”

“Good, how are you and Grace?”

“Good as well,” you nodded, trying to keep functioning properly with him in this close proximity once more.

He smiled at you, “That’s good. Bad manners of me but I still don’t know your name,” he apologised.

“Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he smiled, “Lovely name.”

_The market had been busy that day, just as it was everyday. People moved into every space there was to be filled, marketers called out prices trying to attract customers whilst all those in town moved slowly through the streets and stopped at the stalls when something caught their eye._

_Beggars walked through the streets, calling out for anyone to spare change despite the fact that most of the villagers barely had enough to feed their own families. The streets were filled with people trying to sell their goods for a bit of extra cash, mushrooms, milk, bread, vegetables. Then there was the few of them who tried their luck selling clothes they had made or fixed up, sometimes even small trinkets and jewellery._

_You had stopped at a small stall run by a haggard old woman, on the small wooden table many homemade bracelets and necklaces were laid out. A sweet little bracelet that was lined with brilliant blue beads had caught your eye. You were meant to be here to by some milk and bread for the week, you cradled the few coins you had tightly in your palm._

_By god you were tempted, the bracelet was beautiful but if you bought it you would starve for the week. Still, it must have been worth more than what it was being sold for, perhaps you could invest it and sell it for profit at a later date when you were desperate for money._

_“See something you like?” a voice asked next to your ear, you spun around and bumped into someone taller than you. A man not much older than you, in fact he looked like he was barely twenty._

_“What’s it matter to you?” you asked, raising an eyebrow._

_He merely grinned, “A beautiful woman like you should have beautiful things. What do you like, I’ll get it for you,” he said sincerely._

_Your eyes widened, “What really?”_

_He nodded, “Of course.”_

_You shook your head, “I couldn’t possibly, it’s much too expensive,” you protested._

_He was already reaching into his pocket to dig out money, “Don’t worry it’s on me.”_

_It was a dilemma, you wanted the bracelet but you didn’t want to owe this stranger anything. “Let me pay for half, please?”_

_He sighed, “Fair enough.”_

_You smiled thankfully and handed over your half of the money, you would still have enough left for bread after all. You picked up the bracelet and slipped it onto your wrist, “Thank you.”_

_“Any time,” he grinned, “My name’s Jefferson, by the way.”_

_“Y/N.”_

_“Y/N. Lovely name.”_

Even now you couldn’t help the blush that crossed your cheeks, “Thank you,” you spluttered out. You glanced down at the bracelet that you still wore around your wrist, you had never taken it off.

‘James’ was finished taking measurements now and you let your arms drop to your side. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go,” you said in a rush.

He called after you but you had already gone, the door shut behind you with the ring of a bell.

—

Another several months down the line and you were at your wits end. It had been close to two years since you were living in this hell town and everyday got harder and harder.

Grace acclimatised quickly but she was only young, she barely remembered the Enchanted Forest life now that she was settled in Storybrooke. However as an adult being the only one to remember was torture, each day it was like you saw old friends who had no memory of you. You were isolated in a town full of people.

Then by some miracle the curse was lifted. You don’t know how it happened just that it did.

You went into town the next morning and everyone was in uproar remembering their past lives in the Enchanted Forest. You had been waiting so long for this, so long for Jefferson to remember who you were and now you were frightened.

Would it be the same? Would he still love you? Would he be mad that you hadn’t told him sooner? You took Grace out of school and the two of you stayed at home, it was silly but you couldn’t face going into the town.

It was late in the evening when there was a loud knock at the door, nobody had ever knocked on here let alone this late at night. You sent Grace up to her room and cautiously opened the door, outside the door stood Jefferson.

“I remember everything,” was all he said.

It took you about 0.3 seconds to fling yourself into his arms and hug him as tight as you possible could. Tears started streaming down your face as the two of you clung to each other desperately.

“I missed you, I missed you so much,” you repeated over and over as you buried your face in his neck as he did the same.

You life had been unsettled and disjointed without him but now he was back and everything was complete, you felt whole again. You sniffed and pulled away from him just enough to smash your lips to his.

It had been two years since you had last kissed him and it was better than you remembered. You had forgotten how he fit perfectly against you, like his body was moulded to intertwine with yours.

He was the first to pull away for air. “Grace, come downstairs!” you yelled up and you heard the pattering of feet.

“Grace,” Jefferson breathed when he saw your daughter again.

“Papa!” Grace yelled and ran towards him, he easily knelt down to hug her tightly and lift her up off the ground. “I missed you, papa,” she said as she hugged him tightly.

“I missed you, too, Gracie,” he replied, closing his eyes as he held her tight and more tears fell down your face. Happy tears. Jefferson held out an arm to you and pulled you back into the hug with him and Grace and you happily went. Your family was finally all back together again, it was overwhelming, you would never let anything break up your family again.


End file.
